Genetics
Rethinking DNA - does it makes us who we are?
Robert Plomin is a pioneer in the field of behavioural genetics. As a geneticist and psychologist, his lifetime's worth of research makes the case that DNA is the most important factor shaping us. In… Video, Audio
What happens to your DNA information after an ancestry test?
The personal DNA information from saliva tests sent to ancestry.com is often sold on to private companies which could be pharmaceutical or funded by Google, says a medical sociologist. Audio
Parenting made redundant
Parents have far less effect on their children than we think. Audio
Professor Hamish Spencer - Eugenics at the edge of empire
Hamish Spencer is professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of Otago. A geneticist interested in the history of eugenics, he has published more than 150 scientific articles, many… Audio
Science to solve kiwifruit crisis a winner
A 100-strong team of researchers from Plant and Food Research have won the 2017 Prime Minister's Science Prize for using science to solve the kiwifruit PSA crisis. Audio
Gene test claims to hold secrets to better diet, exercise, sleep
An Auckland doctor has developed a test which claims to be able to tell you what sports you're best suited for and what you should eat for better health and disease prevention. Audio
CRISPR crops: the rise of gene edited foods
With the Royal Society soon to release a discussion paper on the use of gene editing in agriculture, we're replaying Simon Morton's 2017 story on how this genetic technique's already being used to… Audio
DNA from space!
Until now astronauts have had to send mysterious microbes and organisms back to earth to figure out what they are.
But for the first time, NASA astronauts have successfully sequenced DNA and… Audio
The ten species that changed our world
Over many thousands of years, our hunting-gathering ancestors foraged and tracked down a whole host of plants and animals.Then people learned that you could derive more value from nature by taming and… Audio
Can microbes help us grow more food?
Naturally occurring microbes living on plants can be used to boost the yield, nutrition and even taste of corn, soybeans, rice and tomatoes. This Way Up visits a biotech startup manipulating microbes… Audio
Kill or cure? DIY gene therapies
How far would you go to find a cure if you were diagnosed with a terminal illness? An emerging underground community is taking a DIY approach, looking to hack the drawn-out process of drug… Audio
A new test for concussion
American researchers think they have detected the precise chemical biomarkers in saliva that change after a head injury, which could lead to more objective and accurate concussion tests and better… Audio
Active in AI
Don Shaw is an AI Technician which means at this time of the year he is up early visiting dairy farms every morning inseminating cows that have come on heat. It's a job thousands of people do between… Audio
Precision gene editing: a new approach
Since it was first discovered 4 years ago, the gene editing technology CRISPR-Cas 9 has shown potential in its ability to remodel our DNA and correct genetic abnormalities associated with health… Audio
Human gene editing progress reignites ethical questions
Success with editing and removing a genetic mutation which causes a serious blood disorder is being hailed as a major advance in medical science. But a Professor of Genetics at Kent University says… Audio
For the llove of llamas
There are only two guanaco studs outside of South America - one is run by Keith Payne in North Canterbury. Big Ears Llama Ranch is home to around 50 of the sturdy camelids. Video, Audio
Bacteria versus virus at Queenstown Research Week
The arms race between the immune systems of bacteria and the viruses - bacteriophages - that attack them, was a feature of this year's Queenstown Research Week. Audio
Why don't poisonous frogs poison themselves?
Dr Chris Smith of The Naked Scientists brings us the latest from the world of science news and research.This week the global pharmaceutical giant Novartis has just got USFDA approval for a new class… Audio
Could fingers hold the key to sporting success?
That's the thrust of some intriguing research looking into the relative lengths of your ring finger and your index finger... the second, pointy one. Audio
Josephine Johnston - Promises and pitfalls of editing our genes
Josephine Johnston is the director of research at New York-based The Hastings Center, the world's first bioethics research institute. She is an expert on the ethical, legal, and policy implications of… Audio
